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Can a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints donate blood?
Yes. Members can give blood, and they can receive blood or blood products when a doctor recommends it. In India, Latter-day Saints have taken part in local blood donation camps, giving blood alongside their neighbours, friends, and colleagues.
This is a good moment to say it clearly. India observes National Voluntary Blood Donation Day every year on 1 October, a day set aside to thank voluntary donors and encourage more people to give blood freely. Recently, news from another Christian group about blood has also led some people to ask what different churches teach. This article gives a simple answer — for members who want to be reassured and for anyone who is curious.
What Does the Church Teach About Blood?
Scripture speaks of the sacredness of blood, but the Church does not hold that any scripture or revelation forbids giving or receiving it.
According to the "Encyclopedia of Church", the Church is not opposed to its members donating blood or receiving blood products through transfusion, and it leaves the decision to each member or family. In some places, congregations have even held blood drives so that blood is available if someone in the community needs it.
In simple terms: a healthy, eligible Latter-day Saint can donate blood, and a Latter-day Saint who needs a transfusion can accept one. Medical decisions are made between the patient, the family, and the doctor.
A Long Tradition of Giving
Blood donation has been part of Latter-day Saint service for decades.
The Church held its first blood drive with the American Red Cross in April 1996. By 2023, the Red Cross reported that Church-sponsored drives had collected more than 1.1 million units of blood through almost 37,000 drives. The Church’s Newsroom noted that it is the Red Cross’s largest single blood-drive collaborator in the United States.
The same spirit can be seen closer to India. On 2 May 2026, members of the San Pablo Stake in the Philippines held a community blood drive with the Philippine Red Cross. It was a small event that collected 17 units of blood for local patients. The stake leader who presided, President Nephi L. Basco, explained why it mattered: giving blood is a way of serving other people, and serving other people is a way of serving God.
Blood donation camps are also a familiar part of life in India, organised by hospitals, colleges, NGOs, and community and religious groups. For Latter-day Saints here, joining these camps is a natural way to be good neighbours.
Why Latter-day Saints Give Blood
For Latter-day Saints, giving blood is not a special religious ritual. It is one simple way to live a principle that Jesus Christ taught: love your neighbour and serve those in need.
The Book of Mormon puts it this way:
“When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.”_ [Mosiah 2:17
Many people in India will recognise this idea. A familiar saying at blood camps here is raktdaan mahadaan — blood donation is the greatest donation. Whatever our faith, giving a small part of ourselves so that a stranger can live is one of the clearest forms of seva.
What About the News About Jehovah’s Witnesses?
You may have seen news about another Christian group, Jehovah’s Witnesses.
On 18 September 2026, their Governing Body announced that each Witness may decide by personal conscience whether to accept red blood cells, white blood cells, plasma, or platelets from another person, and whether to donate blood for the purpose of providing such components. Their long-standing position on whole-blood transfusion did not change; it continues to be based on the biblical command to “abstain from blood” in Acts 15:20.
That is a decision of another faith, and it is theirs to explain. We mention it only because it has led some people to ask how different churches view blood.
For Latter-day Saints, the answer has not changed: the Church does not teach members to refuse blood transfusions, and it has supported blood drives for decades.
A Personal Decision, Made With Good Medical Advice
Donating blood is a personal choice. Anyone who wishes to donate must meet the health requirements set by the blood bank and the health authorities, and donated blood is tested before it is used.
Members who have questions about their own health — for example, whether they are eligible to donate or whether a transfusion is advisable — should ask their doctor.
A Simple Way to Serve
If you would like to donate, start with your nearest hospital blood bank or a camp organised in your community. India’s Ministry of Health runs an official portal, e-RaktKosh, where you can find nearby blood banks and upcoming donation camps.
Giving blood takes only a short time, and one donation can help save more than one life — the Red Cross says up to three.
In times when news about another religious community can cause confusion, the answer for Latter-day Saints is simple: giving blood is a good way to serve, to help preserve life, and to love our neighbour.
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